The International Cricket Council (ICC) has given Pakistan a stark choice: accept the ‘Hybrid’ model for the 2025 Champions Trophy or risk being excluded from the event. This comes after a contentious executive board meeting on Friday, which failed to reach a consensus on the tournament’s scheduling due to Pakistan’s persistent refusal to agree to the proposed model.
The meeting, called to finalize the Champions Trophy’s schedule for February-March 2025, was marred by Pakistan’s rejection of the ‘Hybrid’ model, which involves holding India’s matches in the UAE due to security concerns in Pakistan. The ongoing tension stems from India’s firm stance on not traveling to Pakistan due to the volatile security situation.
Despite most ICC board members showing empathy for Pakistan’s situation, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chief, Mohsin Naqvi, was urged to accept the ‘Hybrid’ model as the only viable solution. Sources within the ICC confirmed that India’s participation is critical for the event’s commercial success, with broadcasters unlikely to invest without the Indian team. The ICC is reportedly prepared to shift the tournament entirely to a different location, possibly the UAE, if Pakistan does not accept the compromise.
“If not, then ICC Board might have to shift the tournament entirely to a different country (could be UAE too) but it will be held without Pakistan,” an ICC source said under anonymity.
The meeting, chaired by deputy chairman Imran Khwaja, was brief, with Naqvi standing firm on his position. This meeting also marked the last official engagement for ICC chair Greg Barclay, who is set to hand over to Jay Shah next month. A senior administrator from an ICC full member country shared that the board would reconvene on Saturday to continue deliberations.
Meanwhile, India’s Ministry of External Affairs reiterated the stance of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), stating that the Indian team would not travel to Pakistan due to security concerns. “BCCI has issued a statement. They have said that there are security concerns there, and it is therefore unlikely that the team will be going there,” an MEA spokesperson said during a routine briefing.
Should the ‘Hybrid’ model be accepted, India’s matches would be hosted in the UAE, and Pakistan would still retain some hosting rights for the event. However, this arrangement would see Pakistan lose significant revenues, including a hosting fee of USD 6 million and gate revenues, along with a potential reduction in its annual earnings, which total around USD 35 million.
If the tournament is rescheduled or relocated, the PCB would face financial losses, and the ICC would likely have to renegotiate its broadcasting deal with Star, the official tournament broadcaster.
The tournament window is tightly constrained, with the only available period being between February 19 and March 9, 2025. Any delay would conflict with the other bilateral engagements of participating nations.
Pakistan also has the option to retaliate by refusing to participate in the 2025 ICC Women’s T20 World Cup, which will be held in India. However, this is seen as an unlikely move, given the long-term ramifications for Pakistan’s standing in international cricket.